City In The Sky
by Authenti
Summary: Well, Shad was going to find out sooner or later. Pity about the cannon trip, but how else do you propose one would get there? Contains an OC, not sure where it's going to go from there. Trying not to go down the Mary-Sue road.
1. Is This A Joke?

Link steeled himself. Now. Today. He was going to have to tell his story today. And so help him, he was going to force Shad to listen.

The echoes of his knuckles on the door resounded down the street, but no one looked. Everyone was too busy with his or her own daily lives.

"Shad?" There was no answer. Link wasn't a talker, so he tried the door instead – it was locked, but something rustled inside, like papers falling from a desk.

"Coming, coming! A moment, if you will!" More restless shuffling and a loud bang as a heavy book hit the floor, and a muttered curse. Shad gave up on trying to make the place look presentable and wrenched the door open in a hurry, the gust sending papers scattering across the already-cluttered floor. "Oh! Link, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"I need to talk to you ab-"

"Come in! Come in, honestly, it's no trouble. Ah – er, just, er… make your way round that pile of – no, actually, I'll move that." The scholar spent a good minute or so clearing up, though it made little difference. Link sighed and picked a chair. It had a book on it. He chose a different chair.

"Shad, sit down."

"What? Oh, I'm sorry." He took a seat opposite Link and, after a moment's deliberation, gave an irritated groan and stood up again. "I'm sorry. I can't talk comfortably in this mess. The mere state of this place makes me feel ridiculous. Should we go to the bar?"

"Calm down. What I came to speak about involves your studies of the Oocca."

"The sky beings?" Shad's eyes widened briefly and he slammed himself back down in his chair again, all other thoughts disregarded; the clutter no longer mattered, and all self-consciousness had flown out of the window. "Tell me all you know! I always did suspect you had some knowledge of them. Tell me everything!"

Link sighed again pointedly and Shad looked apologetic, falling silence. "Look, I don't pay attention to detail, so I don't know much about them. But I've seen them."

"Wh-"

"Shush. There's more. Stop – stop, no, don't bother getting a pen. You won't be able to keep up. I'll just say it outright, Shad." Link paused to take a deep, cleansing breath. "I have been to the city in the sky." He held up a hand to keep Shad quiet, though the normally-docile scholar was too shell-shocked to speak anyway. "I've been there. Believe me. And it took a long time to get there, and it was a stepping stone to save Hyrule, I didn't stay there long. Just bear with me…" He trailed off, seeing the dangerous look in Shad's eyes.

"Link… You, of all people… I thought you were better than this."

"What?"

"You should know better to taunt me. I have spent my life-"

"Shad, listen-"

"-my _entire life _trying my best to ignore the countless times people have done this, and I thought you would be above it-"

Link rose suddenly, knocking his chair backwards so it hit the floor with a thud. "Shad! Be quiet!" he thundered. Shad shrank back, suddenly his old self again, the imposing defiance gone. There was a brief look of uncertainty and shock in his eyes, but Link ignored it. "I am not playing you for a fool, Shad. I require your trust. Believe me. Believe me, and I will show you where it is. The Hero of Time would never have spent his time bullying innocent intellectuals, and to follow in those footsteps, neither would I." The scholar still seemed unable to answer. Had Link honestly been serious? "Meet me at dawn tomorrow, at Lake Hylia. Bring a coat, a flask of water, and your courage."

With that, the warrior stooped to replace his fallen chair, then left the house without another word.


	2. Stop: Cannon Time

The sun rose slowly higher over the cliffs, the shadows cast from them shortening by the minute and leaving a glittering trail where the light hit the water.

A lone Hylian sat waiting patiently by the entrance to a small cliffside shack, his green tunic fluttering in the light breeze. He glanced overhead, checking the sun's position, and sighed. Shad probably wasn't going to show up, at this rate. He yawned and leant backwards against the boulder, shifting out of its shadow and around to the sunny side. A nap wouldn't hurt on a sunny morning like this.

Within a few minutes, however, he heard the uneven footsteps of another Hylian. He rose and turned round to face Shad, smiling. "Good. I was unsure if you would come."

"Ahh… you know me… can't resist a mystery… Though to be honest, I'm rather relieved to actually find you here. I had the horrific suspicion that the whole thing was a joke, and… I still do, just a little." Shad stifled a yawn all the way through the sentence, but finally raised a hand to cover it. He was wearing his usual clothes, but they were partly obscured by an old, ankle-length overcoat. "Belonged to my father," he quickly explained, blushing. "I expect I look rather silly."

"Aesthetics hardly matter right now. Follow me." Shad found himself hurrying after Link, into the shack. A colourful and somewhat off-putting man greeted them with an overly-friendly wave.

"Two flights," Link grinned, his amusement at what was to come getting the better of him.

"Flights?" Shad asked, bewildered, as Link thrust a Cuccoo into his hand. "To where?"

"To the cannon, of course."

Shad went very pale. "Oh, no. Nooo no no no. Not the one in the… no…" he said weakly, as Link ushered him towards the gangplank and handed over the necessary rupees to the attendant.

"Off you go," the warrior laughed. Shad dug his heels in and caught the wall with one hand, nattering refusals and excuses, but let out a terrified yelp as Link gave him a hearty shove and the scholar took an unwilling step into thin air, hands clutching the Cuccoo for dear life.

"Wasn't that a bit cruel?" the attendant asked, eyeing Link with a smirk. Their eyes met, and they burst out laughing.

***

A few minutes later, Link had rescued a very bedraggled and jittery Shad from the lake, the poor man having just missed the rocky island the Cuccoo had been aiming for.

"Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Okay."

"I-it is c-certainly not okay," Shad stammered, holding his own shoulders protectively. "N-never, ever… d-do that to me again…"

"Oh, you're going to love what's coming next, then," Link grinned, steering his paralysed victim towards the cannon. Shad leant against the machine with a groan and slid down it to reach a sitting position on the rocky floor. He then stood bolt upright and stared in shock at the cannon. "Wait! What is… This cannon… it… You couldn't have… No, it can't be the same one from Kakariko. Can it?"

Link handed one of his Clawshots to the scholar.

"Wh… What am I to do with this?"

"Put it on your hand. No, like this-" Link taught Shad to use the thing, and the scholar shot it once at the ground. The kick from it jolted him, but surprisingly enough he remained standing. "Now get over here and fire it at that panel inside the cannon."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Link felt very, very mischievous for doing this to Shad without any warning, but he had a feeling that if he told him what the cannon was going to do… he'd probably refuse to go.

Shad steeled himself, working up the courage to shoot the strange device at the target. He had a nasty feeling Link wasn't telling him everything – and within moments, he knew he was right. The Clawshot yanked him off his feet and he clung to it in terror as the bizarre contraption began to shudder violently. He heard a muffled bout of laughter behind him and mentally cursed the warrior, but there was no time to contemplate as the shaking and juddering suddenly stopped. There was a split second of silence, and then…

_Boom._


	3. Lost a Pen

Shad hit the water with a splash, feet getting a hold on the bottom of the pool and then shoving upwards a few seconds after he regained his composure. He broke through the surface and made his way to what he hoped was dry land; his glasses had fallen off somewhere along the way, as had the Clawshot.

He coughed violently and heaved himself out of the water onto some pale stone steps. He stayed there for a few minutes, knees drawn up to his chin and arms around himself comfortingly. The shock of the flight definitely hadn't done wonders for his mental health.

There was a loud splash from nearby as a blurry green shape plunged into the centre of the pool, surfacing a few moments later and glancing around, then making its way towards him.

"Did you manage to hang onto the Clawshot?"

"N-no."

"You look weird without your glasses."

"_You _look weird without my glasses," Shad responded begrudgingly. Link laughed loudly and stepped back down into the pool, scouring the bottom briefly before resurfacing holding both the Clawshot and a pair of glasses. He handed the latter to its owner, who polished them on his tie and then set them back on his face, getting to his feet shakily.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

Link stifled a fit of laughter and waited for his friend to realise what he meant.

Shad blinked at him stupidly for a few moments, then seemed to tense up, shuffling round slowly to glance up at the towering City entrance.

"Ohh… Oh, my…"

"I told you to trust me."

"I…" Shad flinched as something small and feathery skittered towards him, skidding to a halt and tilting its humanoid face up at him with a look of confusion. "Oh."

Link grinned. "Shad, this is Ooccoo. Ooccoo? Shad. He's a scholar, studying the City. Hope you don't mind me bringing him here."

"Not at all!" she chirped, smiling brightly. "Why, it's a pleasure to welcome an esteemed scholar to the City in the Sky. I just hope he doesn't intend to dissect anything!" She giggled and held out a wing, stretching it upwards.

Link nudged Shad, who seemed to be in a daze. "Oh! Oh." He reached down and awkwardly shook hands, then pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "G-glad to… meet you?"

"Ehh, he's a little shy," Link grinned, removing his hat to wring it dry before replacing it and striding off towards the shopkeeper's building, Ooccoo taking a ride on his shoe.

Shad stared blankly at his hand, noticing a feather stuck to it and picking it up between finger and thumb to examine it closely. "…Haha…" He let it blow away and put a hand to his forehead. "Haha! Hahahaha!"

"Shad, come on! The dragon will get you!"

"Hahaha, ha… Wait, what dragon?"

What looked like a chick with a face flitted over to him and promptly alit on his head.

"He's just pulling your wing," it declared. "Mister Link killed the dragon a while ago. It was awesome!"

Shad turned and headed off after Link, raising a brow. "Dragon." He shook his head slowly, though not enough to dislodge Ooccoo's son. Today was going to be long and confusing, but he didn't mind one bit.

***

"Oh, if only I had brought another journal. I'll never fit everything in one."

"Shad, take a break. You've been at it for three hours."

"Perhaps I should make a return trip to Castle Town, and purchase some more supplies…"

"Shad."

"Oh, but I don't want to leave… Link, would you mind-"

"SHAD. Take a _break_."

"Hnn?" Shad rubbed one eye under his glasses tiredly, only now seeming to hear him. "I'm sorry. What?"

Link sighed and put a hand on Shad's shoulder. "You should really rest, you know."

"I haven't the time. All the time in the world wouldn't be enough." Shad smiled across the bridge with an air of trepidation. "And I have yet to move even across to the main building…"

"Do as you wish. I have business in Hyrule."

"You're leaving?" _…me here?_ He wanted to say, but pride forbade it.

"You'll be alright. I'm a swordsman, not a caretaker." Link grinned. "Besides, you'll have Junior to take care of you." He nodded towards the small Oocca, who was still nestled in Shad's hair.

"Don't you worry, Mister Link! I'll fight off the dragons!"

Shad chuckled and snapped his notebook shut, tucking the pen into it and standing up. "I'm sure we'll be just fine."

Link nodded and turned back in the direction of the second cannon. "I will return in three days. I trust you will be fine until then."

Shad waved after him, Ooccoo Jr. flying a short distance after Link and then returning to perch on his shoulder. "Mister Shadow-"

"I've told you, my name is Shad."

"Shadow is more fun, Mister! It makes you like a big evil dragon! That's so cool!" Shad sighed indignantly. "Yeah! Anyway, you'll be okay."

"Whoever said I wouldn't?"

"Baha! You were thinkin' it!"

"Impudent little chick," he chuckled, batting the enthusiastic Oocca out of the way.

"Your book! Your book!"

Shad glanced down just in time to see the book scuffling away from them across the floor, a high breeze picking up. He stamped a foot on the pages of the journal, keeping it in place, but the pen was too quick. The wind carried it over the edge and Junior made a dash for it, but Shad grabbed his wing and held him there, stifling a curse.

"No, Junior, if you flew over the edge in this wind you'd be swept clean away."

"Naw! I'm a dragon!"

"Well… I suppose that's it for the journal… I should have brought a spare…"


End file.
